Extreme Weather Delivering High Heat, Dirty Air To Valley

Metro Phoenix endured another double hit with a high pollution advisory, along with an excessive heat warning for much of Tuesday.

The haze is something normally seen in the winter months during the inversion period when clouds trap a week's worth of vehicle fumes.

But meteorologist Chris Breckenridge with the National Weather Service said this time it's "due largely to some smoke that's moved in from wildfires, partly in California."

As of Tuesday before noon, federal wildfire maps showed at least three forest fires near Los Angeles had burned nearly 20,000 acres of wildland, with only one nearly contained.

"And, there's also some smoke from a fire in Northern Gila County drifting actually down towards the south," Breckenridge added, referring to the Bears Fire, which has burned more than 6,500 acres along the Tonto National Forest.

With heat at record highs and smoke aloft, Breckenridge advised valley residents with breathing difficulties to avoid outside activity until the air is expected to clear later in the day.